Colin Kirkpatrick spent his early years in North Wales. He studied at London's Royal College of Music and later followed a career in music education in the UK. He was a High School Music Director for fifteen years and later became a Music Education Adviser with the added responsibility for training teachers and directing the instrumental teaching service. He has published many articles and his music has been published by Boosey & Hawkes, Novello, Paxton, Schott, Oxford University Press, Chester and Belwin Mills. He holds MA (Hons) and PhD degrees in music education. Apart from music, his interests include reading, cooking, travel, photography and wine tasting.